Silk Roads/Paper Trails features Elisa Lanzi’s original hand pulled monotype prints, handmade paper works, as well as an illustrated haiku portfolio. The artist explores the geography of ancient silk routes – the crossroads, oases, and waterways – as avenues for conveying the invention of papermaking across the globe. Lanzi fuses her own family history, real and imagined, on to these same routes ending up in the Mediterranean.
The artist combines painterly monotypes created from non – toxic color inks with her own handmade paper (made from recycled rags) and Japanese washi paper in visualizing these cultural connections.
“An artist finds inspiration through observation of the conscious and unconscious undertakings in our world. This show’s theme originates in a search to understand my place in the universe.
As I unearthed my DNA I discovered that while my family ended up in Italy, there were earlier migrations from central Asia and the Middle East. I speculated that my ancestors traveled over parts of the ancient silk roads; those same paths that were used to convey the secrets of making paper from China to the Islamic Empire to Italy in the 13th century. The work in this show celebrates the mysteries of the past that are integral to our present.”

Silk Roads/Paper Trails will run through April 6, 2019. The artist, Elisa Lanzi will be present at the festive opening reception on Saturday March 9th from 5 until 8 p.m. Find more information about the artist at www.elisalanzi.com and on Instagram @elisalanziartist.